Broken
by SailAway
Summary: After an accident involving a demonic dog, Buffy looses her memory back to a time when she was not the slayer


DISCLAIMER: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Don't sue me.

  
  


Buffy Anne Summers, a lithe girl with acrobatic abilities, leapt through the air at the crouching demon. His arm shot up, a crack to the jaw, and Buffy was flat on her back, the wind knocked out of her. As he jumped at her again, she raised her legs and kicked hard at his face. He screamed, flailing backwards, and hit the pavement a few feet away in the alley. Gasping, Buffy vaulted over a stack of boxes and again began assaulting the monster. Without any sense of terror, she watched, an almost gleeful smirk on her face, as the demon began growing, becoming larger and larger, until he towered over her, his black head over twelve feet high.

"Oh, so you think that I'm afraid just because you're a little taller than me? No way." The 5'2" girl launched herself back at the demon, who was busy growling. "Just a big dog." Buffy thought to herself.

In fact, he was just a big dog-a very large, rabid big dog, under some spell which caused him to increase in size. 

"Come on, puppy, come and get me!" She beckoned at the dog. With the dog still growing, Buffy was beginning to get a little worried. "Oh, Will, where are you?" 

Willow was hurrying as fast as she could, but the counter-spell was turning out to be more difficult than she had first imagined. She finally found it, praying that it wouldn't be too late.

As Willow ran into the alley where demons and bad guys always seemed to be lurking, she could hear the fight, loudly echoing over the howl of the wind that had suddenly sprung up. She crept closer and began screaming the chant at the gigantic dog. The dog, enraged, pushed at Buffy, sending her flying through the air for several feet before landing on her side. 

Willow gasped. Buffy didn't fall. She just didn't. Whenever a demon or vampire attacked her, she would spring right back up, do a flip and would be back on her feet, fighting off the attacker once more.

This time, however, things were different. Willow finished the incantation, and the dog shrunk to its original size and fell over, dead. She rushed to where her friend lay, motionless.

"Buffy!" Willow shouted. Buffy did not respond.

  
  


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It was late the next day when Buffy woke up, surrounded by friends and flowers, in a white hospital room.

"Hey, Buff, we were a little worried about you there," Xander grinned down at his friend.

Buffy did not smile back. Her eyes, dark and confused, looked around the room, an expression of fear slowing making it's way across her face. "Where am I?" She asked, a tremor beating through her voice.

Willow lay a reassuring hand on Buffy's shoulder. "You're in the hospital. You got a little concussion, but you'll be fine. They'll let you out tomorrow."

Buffy nodded. "Oh."

"And don't worry, we've got patrol all under control for tonight." Xander added.

"Patrol?" Buffy questioned.

"Yeah, Buffy. Don't try to be a hero and try to come and help, you really need your rest tonight, so we'll make sure all those beasties and uglies are taken care of." 

Buffy looked at each of the people in the room. "What are you talking about? Who are you people? Where is my mother?"

Dawn, Willow, Xander, and Tara exchanged looks. 

"Buffy, hey. It's me. Dawn. Remember? Your sister?"

Buffy shook her head. "I'm an only child."

Dawn looked hurt. "And what am I? Dirt?"

Willow touched Dawn's arm. "Hey, Dawnie, Buffy hit her head hard, remember, so I guess things are a little fuzzy for her right now."

Dawn nodded, though clearly not pleased that she was not remember by her own sister. 

A nurse poked her head into the room. "Visiting hours are over, you'll have to come back later!" 

Saying goodbye, the four left, Buffy laying alone in the room, looking small and desolate.

  
  


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"Why does she remember Mom if she doesn't remember me?" Dawn demanded of Willow.

"I don't know, I guess Buffy's just-"

Tara cut her off. "Wow, would you look at that guy? His hospital gown doesn't even cover all of his butt! Nice!"

"Uh, Tara, back to matters at hand." Xander interjected.

She looked at her boyfriend. "Right! And they are. . ."

"Buffy."

"Right."

"She doesn't remember any of us."

"Ya know, this could possibly present a problem. The doctors aren't going to let her out of the hospital if they know that she can't remember anything. And she needs to get out. We can't fight of vampires all by ourselves for too long. I mean, come on, we are The Slayer."

The others nodded in agreement.

  
  


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Buffy was released the next day. Her friends had sat close by when the doctor came in to check her neurological status. They had answered for her when she didn't know the answers, which caused some strife with the doctors, but, being in a hurry, decided Buffy was nearly as good as new and let her sign out.

The five walked out of the hospital together. 

"What city is this?" Buffy asked suddenly, after several minutes of silence on her part.

A group pause. "Sunnydale, Buff. You've lived here for years." Xander began to look concerned.

"Guys, if Buffy can't even remember where she lives, maybe we should bring her back to the hospital. I don't want to hurt her." Willow mentioned.

"I know where I live. 1008 Fremont Drive, Los Angeles, California. And I would like to know what I am doing here!" 

The other four looked at Buffy, amazed.

Dawn opened her eyes wide. "That's where we used to live. Before Buffy got kicked out of school for burning down the gym." 

Willow gasped. "She has no memory since she's become slayer!" Turning to Buffy, she asked, "Hey, Buffy, how old are you?" 

Buffy looked appalled by the question. "I am 13 years old."

Dawn looked around. "I guess the reason she doesn't recognize me is because she remembers me as being nine," She addressed Buffy, "Hey, it's me, Dawn. I've grown up a little, but it's still me."

Buffy shook her head. "Dawn who?"

Dawn started to cry. "Dawn Summers! Your sister!"

"I'm an only child."

It dawned on Dawn. "It's because I'm the key. Is that it? Because I was created only a little while ago and she was given memories of me? Everyone was given memories of me? Oh my God. She thinks it is then, and I am not there. I am not even an egg in our mother's stomach. I am nothing, less than nothing to her." Her tears became frantic, and Willow hugged her, her eyes searching out those of the others, begging for help.

  
  


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That's it for now. You want more? You want more of this? Then let me know, hon.


End file.
